Detailed molecular structural information of the living state is of great significance to the medical and biological communities. Since hydrated biologically active structures are small delicate complex three-dimensional (3D) entities, it is important to have molecular scale spatial resolution, high contrast, distortionless, direct 3D modalities of visualization of naturally functioning specimens in order to faithfully reveal their full molecular architectures. An x-ray holographic microscope equipped with an x-ray (angstrom range) laser as the illuminator would be uniquely capable of providing these images.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to generate ultrabright, multikilovolt coherent tunable x-radiation.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and, in part, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.